


Just A Kiss

by winterwaters



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Drabbles, F/M, Fluff, Non-Linear Narrative, POV Multiple
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-08-05
Updated: 2013-09-05
Packaged: 2017-12-22 11:30:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/912682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/winterwaters/pseuds/winterwaters
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Started out as a prompt fill for Starkwaters and has since merged with some other requests, so decided to give this verse its own space.  Includes Gendry & Ned as step-brothers, Sansa/Arya as roommates, and Jon/Gendry not getting along at all. Plus whatever other plot bunnies come up.  Non-linear timeline. title from the song by Lady Antebellum.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Favor

**Author's Note:**

> the first four chapters are re-posts of chapters that originally appeared in my Drabbles set. Just want to consolidate everything into one spot here :)

“Please, Arya,” Ned pleaded.

She shook her head firmly, her arms crossed in front of her chest defiantly. “No way.”

“Come on. It’s one night. My parents are going to give me hell as it is, don’t you want to see that?”

“Of course. As your friend,” Arya practically growled, and he took a step back, raising his hands.

“I know, I know. It’s just …” Ned’s fright would have been comical in any other situation. But Arya was nowhere near laughing.

She glared at him. “It’s just what? Spit it out already.”

“I already told them you’d come.”

Arya closed her eyes and counted to ten. I must not hit him. I must not hit him.

Ned was practically cowering in front of her when she finally opened her eyes. Before she could talk, more words rushed out of his mouth.

“I’ll do your homework for a month. I’ll- I’ll cover for you in class. I’ll even take-“

Arya put her hand over his mouth to stop any more stupid ideas. “Shut up.”

He closed his mouth immediately. They stood there for a moment, Arya not taking her hand away while she thought, trying to resist the urge to give him a good slap. He bruises like a peach. Like a peach! She hated giving in, but she knew it would be worse if she didn’t show now. If there was one thing she understood, it was the nagging of parents that extended beyond high school. And she supposed, if anything, it would be entertaining to see his goody-two-shoes self get some heat from the folks.

“I get to decide how you pay me back,” Arya finally said, and his eyes widened as he nodded fervently.

“I decide how long to extend your payback. No argument.” Another nod.

“And I reserve the right to add anything else to my terms.” Finally, she removed her hand and held it out. “Deal?”

“Deal.” Ned shook her hand gratefully. “Thank you, Arya. I mean it. I know you hate this stuff.”

She waved him off. “Don’t thank me yet. We still have to make it through the actual dinner.” Another thought hit her and she groaned. “Do I have to dress up?”

“Ah … well … see now …”

“Edric Bartholomew Dayne,” Arya warned, and he paled. It was a sign of how scared he was that he didn’t shush her for using his long-suffering middle name.

“It’s nothing too fancy, but most likely you’ll need a dress.”

“That is too fancy,” she gritted out. “You owe me big time, Dayne.”

“I know.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Arya arrived at the restaurant early. Sansa parked the car and turned to brush the hair from her face.

“You’ll do fine,” she laughed at the look on her face, squeezing her arm gently.

“Why didn’t he ask you? You’re way better at this than I am.”

Sansa cocked her head. “This is true. But I don’t really know him that well. It might have been harder to pull off.”

Arya raised an eyebrow. “Liar. Anything would be better than me.” She tugged at her dark blue dress again. “Thanks for letting me borrow this.”

“I keep telling you to just keep it. It doesn’t fit me anymore and besides,” her sister grinned. “It looks better on you.”

Arya straightened and opened the car door. “Alright. I should get a move on.”

“Good luck,” Sansa called, and Arya waved back in thanks.

Carrying her heels in hand, she crossed the street slowly in her flip flops. She was going to prolong putting her feet into those things as long as possible. Lingering outside the restaurant, she checked her phone again. Ned would be texting when they were close.

Sighing, she turned to find somewhere to wait and nearly crashed into another person. Strong arms latched onto hers, keeping her on her feet as she tried desperately not to fall and ruin Sansa’s dress.

“Jesus. I’m sorry,” a deep voice said, and Arya looked up into bright blue eyes. “Are you alright?”

Suddenly she was trying to work moisture back into her mouth. “I’m fine.”

“I nearly didn’t see you,” he grinned, and she stuck out her tongue automatically. His smile only widened, and Arya was suddenly very distracted.

Then her phone beeped and she belatedly realized she was still in the stranger’s arms. Pulling back, she dug in her bag for her phone. Ned and his parents were minutes away. Arya groaned and flung the phone back in her bag.

“Problem?” Her companion was still watching her.

“Yes,” she grumbled. “I have to get these bloody things onto my feet.” She waved the shoes in the air, and though he was far taller than her, he stepped back.

“Careful now,” he said teasingly. “You could take out an eye with those.”

“So you’d better help me then, hmm?” Arya arched an eyebrow and he grinned. Balls. Why couldn’t she be going to dinner with him? No. Not dinner. There were plenty of better things to be doing with him.

Slipping out of her flip flops, she placed a hand on his shoulder as she leaned down to pull on the heels. His warm hand covered hers as she teetered, fiddling with the straps. When Arya finally straightened, she was miffed to see she still barely reached his shoulder. He was doing his best not to laugh, though it wasn’t going very well. She glared at him before shoving the flip flops into her huge bag (courtesy of Margaery, of course).

“How do people do this every day?” She muttered to herself.

“Hell if I know,” he replied, and she looked at him again, startled. He grinned sheepishly, and now she properly took in his clothes. A black blazer covered his broad shoulders, over a crisp button-up shirt and battered jeans that couldn’t quite hide the grease stains. It made her smile.

Then Ned’s shout sounded behind her, and she turned to see him striding ahead of his parents.

“You guys made it!” He grinned, mouthing “thank you” to Arya quickly. To her surprise, he went straight for her companion for a big hug, and Arya met his equally startled blue eyes over Ned’s shoulder.

“So you've already met, then?” Ned asked, and Arya simply looked at him in confusion.

The dark-haired one cut in for her. “We both just arrived.”

“Oh,” Ned smiled obliviously. “Arya, this is my older brother, Gendry. Gendry, meet Arya.”

Arya’s jaw dropped before she could help it. Gendry held out his hand, his surprise quickly becoming amusement. “Nice to meet you, Arya.”

She took his hand briefly. “You too … Gendry.”

Turning back to Ned, she didn’t mince words. “How did I not know about your brother?”

“Step-brother, really,” Gendry cut in apologetically. “Same prick of a father.”

Now Ned took over. “It was a small town, so word traveled pretty fast. But our mums actually became friends, raised us together. Now I realize it’s quite strange, explaining it to someone.”

Arya shook her head. “I’ve heard stranger,” she said, and they both grinned sheepishly.

“Anyways,” Ned finished. “Now he goes to uni in Oldtown but he’s looking to transfer up here. I figured we could show him around after dinner.”

Right. Dinner. Arya gulped, realizing what was about to happen and wanting to smack her forehead against the wall. Then his parents were greeting them, and she could only look on helplessly as Ned introduced her as his girlfriend. She smiled politely, trying to remember the things Sansa had told her earlier that day. But all she could think about was Ned’s far-too-attractive older brother standing beside her, and how much she wanted to tell him it wasn’t true.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dinner was awkward, but it could have been far worse, Arya thought. Ned seemed to be doing well enough, though his parents certainly had countless questions for him. Gendry, on the other hand, seemed content to watch in quiet amusement, though Arya didn’t miss how he cut in now and then to help out his younger brother.

Now and then his eyes would flick to hers, and she’d look away hastily. It wouldn’t do to stare at her supposed boyfriend’s older brother. She hoped nobody was paying them too much attention though, or they’d see how her eyes kept returning to him anyways, and how he couldn’t seem to stop looking back.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ned’s parents departed straight from the restaurant, having a long drive home. As soon as their car turned the corner, Arya dropped her bag and began untying her heel straps. She didn’t have to look up when a warm hand grasped her elbow gently, though she wondered if he realized just how much he was throwing her off-balance.

Then her shoes were off and she was sighing in relief. Pulling her flip flops back on, she glared at Ned. “You owe me.”

“I know.”

“Do you think they bought it?”

He nodded. “Definitely.”

“Good. You can tell them about our breakup next time they ask,” she muttered, and Gendry cleared his throat behind her.

“Am I missing something?” He asked in confusion.

Ned’s phone rang at that moment, and he reddened when he saw the caller. Arya rolled her eyes. “For the love of god, if that’s Mara you better answer it or I’ll do it for you,” she threatened, and he flipped open his phone hastily, walking a few feet away.

Arya turned to see Gendry looking at her curiously.

“I’m not his girlfriend,” she said.

His eyebrows shot up so high, Arya was surprised they didn’t just lift off his forehead.

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. He just wanted his folks off his back for a bit.”

Gendry was smiling again. “I see. That was nice of you.”

“Do me a favor and don’t let him forget it,” she said, and he chuckled in agreement.

“But yeah, this isn’t really my thing,” she gestured to her outfit. “The dress is my sister’s. So are the shoes. The bag is from a friend.”

Gendry grinned. “One of my mates loaned me the jacket,” he admitted, and Arya felt her mouth curve upwards.

“So we’re both pretenders then, huh?”

“Looks that way.” He shoved his hands into his pockets, his eyes alight, and Arya briefly wondered how rude it would be to leave Ned behind.

Gendry leaned closer, his voice low. “So I know now that you’re not Ned’s girlfriend … but are you anyone else’s girlfriend?”

Arya met his gaze, feeling a pleasant warmth spread throughout her body. She shook her head slowly.

“So if I were to ask you for coffee after this whole tour thing, would that be okay?”

“Can I change first?”

He laughed. “Is that a yes?”

Arya couldn’t help her own smile. “Yes.”


	2. Tour

Gendry kept his word. After Arya and Ned had taken him around campus – somewhat exhaustively, in Arya’s opinion – Ned had left for a late-night meeting with Mara (upon persistent threats from Arya).

By this time, Gendry had removed his blazer and rolled up his shirtsleeves, and Arya was itching to get back into her jeans. As if he could sense her eagerness, Gendry grinned at her.

“So, shall we get you out of that dress now?”

Arya flushed. A moment later, he realized how that sounded and went beet red, his face panicked. “Jesus. I didn’t mean to- … I wouldn’t-“ He stammered, rather uncharacteristically, and they stared at each other open-mouthed for a few moments.

Then Arya grinned, and they were both laughing like teenagers again. When their amusement had subsided into embarrassed chuckles, she raised an eyebrow at him.

“Tempting as your offer is, I don’t think I know enough about you,” she grinned and turned, heading for her dorm.

Gendry caught up to her easily, murmuring, “We’ll just have to change that, then,” and she shivered.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sansa was asleep when Arya entered their room, so she left the lights off and changed as quietly as she could, grabbing the first shirt and jeans she could find. Feeling in the dark for her small crossbody bag, she winced as a book fell off her bed.

“Arya?” Sansa’s groggy whisper came from across the room.

“Sorry, sorry.”

“What time is it?”

“Late. Go back to sleep.”

Sansa yawned. “How was it?”

Arya couldn’t help her smile. “Not bad.”

“Where are you off to now?”

Finding her bag, Arya threw it over her shoulder and rested her arms on Sansa’s mattress for a moment. “Did you know Ned has an older brother?” She asked wickedly, and Sansa was suddenly more awake.

“What!”

Arya nodded her head at the window. “He's outside." Sansa immediately twisted, trying to peek through the blinds, and Arya grinned. "I’ll see you later.”

“Be careful. I want details in the morning,” her sister called after her, and Arya waved before closing the door.

As she went back downstairs, her phone beeped with a text from Sansa.

He’s gorgeous!

Muffling her laugh, she typed back a quick reply. I know.

She smiled at Gendry as she exited the dorm. “So. Ready to see the real campus now?”

He grinned. “I’ve been waiting all night.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Arya took him to her favorite coffeeshop, which she knew from experience was open until extra late, specifically for students. She and Sansa had come here a lot in the beginning. Gendry bought her coffee before she could protest, handing it over with a smirk. She shook her head and added cream, making a face as he added only sugar.

“How can you drink that?”

“I could ask you the same,” he replied, purposely taking a large gulp.

She narrowed her eyes at his grin and headed out. It was a weeknight, so things were busy enough, but not annoyingly so. As they walked along, Arya showed him the good places to eat, the ones she and Ned and Sansa had all deemed worthy. She also pointed out the ones to avoid.

“Ned was sick for days after that one. He still won’t even walk past it. Claims even the smell will get you.” She grinned. “Me and Sansa were fine, but the food wasn’t anything special.”

Gendry laughed. “I think I remember him moaning about that when I called once.”

Arya nodded. “Probably. He’s told anyone who will listen.”

“What’s that place?” Gendry pointed at a smaller building off to the side, and Arya smiled.

“One of my favorites. Come on.”

As they got nearby, Arya pulled out her keyring, her fingers automatically finding the bronze key.

“You need a key to this place?”

She nodded, opening the door and pushing him in before her. Flipping on the lights, she walked out to the middle of the floor.

“A studio?”

“Yup. We use it for all sorts of things. See those blue mats in the corner? They’re for gymnastics, as well as fencing.” She waved her key. “That’s why you need a key. There’s a ton of equipment stored here.”

“What do you do?” He asked curiously.

“I fence. Started my first year and never stopped. Once you get into the last couple of years you become a trainer. I’m co-captain of the team now.”

Gendry leaned back, impressed. “Arya Stark, fencing master.”

“Shut up.” She let him look around a bit longer before turning down the lights and locking up. As they stepped back on the path, he bumped his shoulder against hers.

“Seriously, Arya. That’s really cool.”

She smiled, pleased. “Thanks. It’s a good distraction from everything else.”

He nodded in understanding.

“So. Where to now?”

Arya grinned as an idea struck her, and she grabbed his hand unthinkingly, pulling him along. Belatedly, she realized he seemed in no hurry to let go, and the thought warmed her to no end.

The stone building stood tall and strong nearly at the center of campus, its large brown doors and wide archways always reminding Arya of the castles they only read about in books.

“We call it Towers, though it’s got some old long name that’s listed in the books and maps,” she explained to Gendry. “It’s mostly a common room area on the first couple floors with some old offices for student activities. The rest of it is fairly unused.”

Heading inside, she tugged him to the left, away from the center staircase. Instead, they went up the side stairwell.

“How many floors does this place have?” Gendry wondered as they climbed the stairs.

Arya grinned. “Tired already, old man?”

His eyes blazed before he charged up the stairs after her and she laughed, breaking into a run for the last few floors. He caught her around the waist just as she was opening the top door, but whatever he had planned got lost when he looked past her.

“Whoa.”

Arya smiled, tugging him onto the roof. “Best view in town, right here.”

“I’ll say,” he breathed.

“You can see the whole campus from here, in all directions. It’s a nice place to just get away from it all.”

Gendry nodded, still speechless, and Arya happily soaked in his surprise. She took a seat on one side, feeling him drop next to her moments later.

“So,” his voice was teasing. “Do you bring all your dates up here?”

She shoved him, annoyed when he barely budged. “Stupid.”

“You know, you shouldn’t insult people that are bigger than you.”

Arya narrowed her eyes. “Then I wouldn’t get to insult anyone,” she replied, and he laughed loudly. Her own mouth twitched as she looked away.

More quietly, he asked, “Seriously. Who else knows about this place?”

“Not many people, I’d guess.” She picked at her clothes, not looking at him. “I haven’t really brought anyone up here before.”

Gendry tucked a stray hair behind her ear gently. “Why me?”

Arya shrugged. “Thought you might appreciate it.”

“I do,” he said sincerely, and she met his gaze over her shoulder. “Thank you.”

She nodded, biting her lip until she thought of another subject. “So why are you thinking of transferring?”

He let her change the topic without comment, and she was grateful for it.

“I was thinking of going here for grad school,” he explained. “I’m in my last year at Oldtown now, but all the classes are similar so I figured it could be a good trial run, to see if I liked things here. Plus, my mum got a new job nearby, so it’d be closer to her in case she needed anything.”

“You sound close,” Arya remarked quietly, and he nodded, a smile brightening his face.

“We are. It’s always been the two of us, really. Though Ned and his mum did help quite a bit,” he grinned, and Arya felt a smile pull at her own mouth.

“So what’d you think?”

“Of what?”

She spread her hands. “All of this. Think you could see yourself here?”

Gendry looked at her for a long time before smiling softly. “Yeah, I think so,” he said, and Arya was suddenly grateful for the darkness as her cheeks became hot.

“Did you reallythink I was Ned’s girlfriend?” She asked skeptically.

He chuckled. “I tend to take people at their word. No matter how unlikely it may seem,” he added with a cheeky grin, and Arya stuck her tongue out in response.

For a while they sat in silence, and Arya realized how few other people there were that could contentedly sit with her quietly, without needing to fill the space with inane conversation. It was pleasant and oddly comforting, and her thoughts began to wander. They were a couple of weeks into the summer term. So if he transferred here, it would most likely be for the fall. That would mean a little over two months until she saw him again. Arya didn’t hold onto any idea of him visiting before that, but it didn’t deter her. As long as she did get to see him in two months, she could wait.

Eventually, Gendry stood with a groan, stretching his long limbs before offering a hand up. “I hate to cut this short, but I have a long drive back tomorrow.”

Arya nodded and let him pull her up. After a moment, he shifted his hand so that his fingers were woven firmly with hers, and Arya tried and failed to hide her smile. They took their time going downstairs and back to her place, their hands linked the entire way.

When they neared her front door, Gendry finally stopped and tugged her close.

Arya let her hands rest lightly on his waist. “So what do you think? Did all this win you over?”

“You certainly did,” he murmured, and she felt warm to the tips of her toes. His hands came up to cup her neck as he leaned down slowly. The first tentative brush of his lips against hers was too swift, and she rose on the balls of her feet to follow him back up, properly capturing his mouth. Now his hands were tangling in her hair, holding her to him tightly as she trailed her fingers up his back. He still tasted of the sweet coffee from earlier, and Arya absently noted she’d never look at caffeine the same way again. Though still somehow gentle, his mouth moved eagerly against hers as his tongue begged for entry, and her lips parted on a sigh.

When Gendry finally pulled back, he rested his forehead against hers with a smile, and Arya tightened her grip, wondering if she could convince him to stay longer.

“It’s going to be a long two months,” she muttered, and his eyebrows rose.

“What?”

Arya flushed, realizing she’d been thinking out loud. His smile was only widening, and she hated how hot her cheeks felt. She tried to shrug it off and pull back, but his arms were locked firmly around her waist.

“It’s just … I guess it’ll be a while until you start classes, that’s all,” she said.

When his face became sheepish, she raised an eyebrow in question. “What?”

“Honest mistake,” he said. “I forgot to mention that if I transfer, I’d be starting quite soon.”

She stared. “How soon?”

He grinned guiltily. “Next week.”

Arya’s mouth dropped, and she smacked his chest, his shoulder, anything in reach. He laughed and grabbed her fists, easily holding them behind her back.

"How is that even possible?" She asked, incredulous.

His gaze snapped up from her lips. "I'm taking fewer courses, so I haven't missed a whole lot so far. As long as I keep up, the professors said they don't have any issue with it."

“Stupid,” she huffed. “How did you forget to tell me that?”

“Well you’re very distracting, you know,” he murmured, and his voice was so low and his blue eyes so dark that she forgot her retort. Gendry kissed her again soundly, and though he released her arms, all she could do was wrap them around his neck to bring him closer.


	3. Move

Gendry stood in the small living room, looking around at all the identical cardboard boxes with a wide smile. Some were marked with her messy scrawl in a vague attempt at organization, but most remained blank, their contents left to be discovered.

Then Ned called to him from downstairs, and Gendry snapped out of his daze, stepping over another box on his way out the door.

“Couldn’t you guys have picked a place without stairs?” His step-brother called from three landings below.

Gendry grinned. “My place has always had stairs, you knew that.”

The only answer was a disgruntled huff, followed by a thump as something hit the floor, and Gendry bit back a laugh as he rounded the last flight of steps.

“Stop being such a baby,” Arya passed Ned with another box in her hand, grinning at Gendry before heading up.

Gendry took one end of the TV stand, motioning for Ned to pick up the other end, and between them they slowly heaved it up the stairs. Thankfully, Arya hadn’t needed to bring her mattress, Gendry thought with another foolish grin.

“Hey!” Ned’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. “Focus, mate. One more flight.”

“Right. Sorry,” Gendry replied, not apologetic in the least.

When they reached the top, Gendry clapped his younger brother on the shoulder, ushering him inside. “Sit.” He handed him a bottle of water. “Drink. Breathe.”

Gendry went to look for Arya. Passing the bedroom, something caught his eye and he stopped, switching directions to take a closer look. Happily, he registered the sight of Arya’s pillow next to his on the bed, while a box labeled “clothes” sat on the floor by the closet. But he was focused on a small blue box that sat on his desk, wrapped carefully in bubble wrap.

His fingers brushed over the strip of masking tape on top, where his name was written in black Sharpie.

Then Arya’s hands crept around his waist and he smiled. “Hey you.”

“Hi. Do you know Ned’s passed out on the couch?”

Gendry laughed. “Let him be. He’s been a big help.”

He felt her nod against his back before pressing a kiss between his shoulder blades, and he sighed contentedly.

“What are you thinking?” She asked after a few minutes.

“Honestly? I’m thinking I’d really like to know what’s in this box.”

Her grip loosened as she moved around him to see what he was looking at. Gendry watched as her eyes widened and she sucked in a breath, her cheeks turning pink.

“Shit. I forgot to put that away.”

“It’s got my name on it,” Gendry said rather dumbly, and she rolled her eyes.

“Yes, bravo for observing that,” she replied dryly.

Gendry raised his eyebrows. ““Well, since it has my name I must be allowed to open it, right?” He grinned cheekily and reached for the box, unsurprised when Arya’s quick hands snatched it away first.

She was so clearly uncomfortable that he fought down the urge to laugh, instead wrapping his arms around her, box and all. “Love, I’m just teasing. Put it away safely.”

Arya peered up at him through her lashes, her mouth quirked to once side in thought. Finally, she stepped back and held out the box to him. When he looked at her in surprise, she shrugged.

“We are living together now. I suppose you should know what’s inside.”

He took the box from her gently, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. “Are you sure?”

When she nodded, he pressed a kiss to her hair and set the box back on his dresser, carefully peeling away the bubble wrap. Flicking the latch open, he glanced at Arya one more time to see her gnawing on her bottom lip.

“Arya, if you don’t want-“

“It’s alright,” she assured him with a small smile. “Go on.”

Gendry kissed her softly, lingering for a moment before turning back to the box and opening the lid. A variety of items lay inside, nestled amongst several small papers. Reaching in, his fingers grasped a familiar ticket stub.

“My very first concert,” Arya said quietly. “Thanks to you.”

Smiling at the memory, he placed it back carefully before pulling out … “A receipt?”

“Look closer.”

Gendry peered at the small script until he found the name. “The place we went to with Ned’s folks?”

She nodded. “First time we met. When I was unaware,” she grinned, “that you two were related.”

Gendry remembered. He’d thought, quite unfortunately, that she was dating Ned. His eyes roamed over the other contents of the box, noting the other now-familiar receipts and stubs that lay there, and his throat tightened.

Then his gaze fell on a single earring, and he held it up curiously. Arya blushed. “When you met my parents at that fancy restaurant. And later, when we… ah …”

“That park,” Gendry murmured, and she nodded.

“I never did find the other earring, so I just left it here.”

Now it was Gendry’s turn to be sheepish. “Actually, I may know where it is.”

“What?”

“I found it on the ground, after … and I sort of … kept it.” He grinned. “It’s not like you wear them every day.”

Arya’s mouth had dropped open, but all that came out was a startled laugh. Gendry hugged her close, gently dropping the earring inside the box and shutting the lid. He didn’t need to see anymore. “Thank you for letting me peek inside,” he whispered, and her arms tightened around his waist.

“Thank you for not laughing.”

“Never. But can I ask one question?” She nodded against his chest. “What made you think to keep all those things?”

It was a while before Arya answered. “I suppose I just didn’t want to forget,” she said thoughtfully, and he pulled back to see her eyebrows drawn in thought. “At first I just kept the receipt, and then I wanted to keep the ticket stubs, and then … it just became your box …” She shrugged, trailing off, and he smiled down at her.

“I’m flattered,” he whispered. “But I’m still keeping your earring.”

Her lips curved into a helpless grin. “Alright.”

Gendry leaned down to kiss her firmly, feeling her lips part under his with an easy familiarity. When he finally let go it was only to suck on her lower lip before nibbling across her jaw, and she let out a ragged breath as her hands curled into his shirt.

When a creak sounded from the living room, they both stilled, though Gendry kept his arms firmly around her. Then the sound of soft snoring reached their ears, and they both tried to stifle their laughter. Her grey eyes shining wickedly, Arya began pushing him backwards towards the bed.

“How much do you think we can get away with before he wakes up?”

Gendry grinned as he fell on the mattress, yanking Arya atop him. “Let’s find out.”


	4. Park

This was a disaster.

Gendry focused on the plate in front of him, praying that they might make it through dinner without any more questions. As it was, he was receiving glares from various ends of the table, and only Arya’s hand on his leg and her fierce stares in response had kept him from leaving early. Undeterred, her elder brothers continued to shoot glances at him, as they had been all night.

A week ago, Arya had shyly asked him to come to dinner with her family. Hastily, she had explained the fancy restaurant and dress code, and he could tell she fully expected him to say no. So he had said yes, watching as her face lit up in surprise and genuine happiness.

More than once, she’d asked if he was certain. At the time, he’d replied confidently. Now, he was starting to rethink the whole idea.

Maybe if it had been just her parents, he mused, it might not have been so bad. Her mother was certainly a tough one, but seemed to want the best for her daughter. He couldn’t dislike her for that. Her father even cracked a smile now and then, doing his best to keep the conversation light. And though Gendry suspected it was more for Arya’s sake than his, he was thankful for it.

But unfortunately, it wasn’t just them. No, her two older brothers and older sister had also come along. Sansa was a blessing, really. As Arya’s roommate, she’d met him almost immediately after they began dating and had never been anything but polite.

But the brothers … they would be difficult. From the moment he’d shown up holding Arya’s hand, they’d been assessing him not unlike hunters would examine their prey. Arya had been defiant as ever, leading him past without barely a glance at them, but they wouldn’t be put off that easily. The night had been full of pointed remarks, despite Arya and Sansa’s best attempts to deflect conversation. All he wanted to do was kiss Arya and promise her he wasn’t going anywhere – he was almost positive her mind was spinning on all cylinders, imagining the worst-case scenarios.

After he had declined dessert, opting for a coffee, Gendry almost did kiss her to wipe the worry from her face. But then her dark-haired, ever-serious brother stood and asked him for a moment outside, and Gendry had little choice but to oblige. Steeling himself, he followed Jon out of the restaurant into the warm spring evening.

Jon paced for a few moments before turning to him in frustration. “That is my little sister.”

“Yes, I’m aware.” Gendry did his best not to retort, but he was getting quite sick of being poked and prodded all night like an invalid.

“And you … you are my age,” Jon again stated the obvious, running a hand through his hair.

“Again. I am aware,” Gendry replied evenly.

The other boy’s face was turning purple with the effort of not hitting him. At this point, Gendry thought he might actually welcome a punch instead of all the verbal slaps he’d been receiving all night.

“So what are you doing, then?”

Gendry stared in disbelief. “I’m sorry?”

“What are you doing with my little sister?”

“What am I …” Gendry nearly laughed at the absurdity of the question. “You do realize she’s a grown woman now, right?”

When Jon didn’t answer, he continued. “What I am doing is dating Arya. As I have been for months now.”

“You don’t actually think-”

“Look,” Gendry said firmly. “You can do whatever you want and say what you want, but I’m not going anywhere. I’m crazy about her, and unless she asks me to go, I’m staying.”

They stared at each other, each refusing to give in until a voice piped up behind Gendry, startling them both.

“Are you done?”

Arya stood against the door, her arms crossed in front of her chest as she glared at Jon. Her gaze flitted to Gendry briefly before returning to Jon, and he wondered how much she had heard. She didn’t wait for an answer from either of them, instead taking Gendry’s hand and pulling him back inside.

As they made their way back to the tables, she laced her fingers with his, squeezing tightly. “Sorry,” came her whisper, and he brushed his lips against her hair briefly in reply.

The rest of the evening passed in blissful silence, with the occasional question from Sansa or the parents Stark, while the brothers glowered in their corner. Arya’s hand stayed pressed in his the whole time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gendry let out a breath when they were finally in the safety of his car, his head thunking back against the cushioned rest as his eyes closed. Arya’s cool fingers ran across his forehead, combing through his hair and lightly massaging his scalp. A minute later, he turned his head to brush a kiss against her wrist, opening his eyes to meet her concerned gaze.

“I’m fine,” he assured, albeit weakly, and she grinned.

“You’re an awful liar. But thank you for trying.”

He smiled, shaking his head and starting the car. Arya put a hand on his arm as he backed out. “I don’t want to go back yet. Can we just drive for a while?”

“Think your brothers are going to follow us?”

“Shut up.”

Gendry laughed and turned up the radio volume. They drove for some time, chatting quietly or simply listening to the music, letting themselves be distracted. Eventually, Gendry drove by a park for the third time and Arya held out a hand.

“Wait,” she requested. “Stop here.”

As soon as he’d parked on the side of the road, she grinned and hopped out without explanation, throwing her heels in the back seat. Gendry only stopped to chuck his blazer with her heels before following. Arya stepped lightly, curling her toes into the sand before heading immediately for the swings, her navy dress floating around her in the breeze. When she sat down, her toes brushing the sand, Gendry snuck up behind her, wrapping an arm around her waist to pull her back high as she yelped in surprise. Then he let go, laughing loudly at her squeal when the swing flew forward into the air.

“You suck,” Arya called breathlessly, sticking out her tongue.

He grinned and sat on the swing next to her, long legs curled under him as he absently rocked back and forth. Watching her closely, he couldn’t miss that her face had taken on a thoughtful expression.

“What?”

She shook her head, still swinging. “Nothing.”

“Arya. You’ve got that look.”

“What look?”

“The look where you want to tell me something, but you’re not sure if you should tell me.”

“I do not,” she protested. Then her eyes narrowed. “And you shouldn’t know that look yet.”

Gendry grinned, raising an eyebrow. “What is it?”

Arya sighed exaggeratedly, looking down as her swinging became a little less forceful, the tip of her toes dragging against the sand.

“I heard what you said to Jon.”

He blinked. “Oh.”

“Yeah.” Now she looked up, worrying her bottom lip. “Did you mean it?”

Gendry looked back at her, trying to gauge how to reply. He didn’t know why he bothered, though, because this was Arya and he would always tell her everything, regardless of how it might scare them both.

So he stood from his swing, coming to stand directly in her path. Arya’s eyes widened and she shifted, planting her feet on the sand to slow her momentum. Unconcerned, Gendry caught the swing as it neared, moving forward with it until he was standing between her legs, his own hands wrapped around hers on the chain links. He was so close he could smell a faint trace of lavender on her skin.

He smiled down at her. “I meant every word.”

Her expression fluttered from uncertain to joyous to determined in the span of a few seconds, and he fought the urge not to laugh. Only Arya could have that many feelings at once. But she only nodded fiercely, whispering “Good,” before standing on her tip-toes just as he bent down, and their lips collided.

Though Gendry tried to keep it soft and quick, he should have known Arya had other plans. Her tongue ran across his teeth immediately, eagerly gaining access to his mouth as she kissed him deeply, and he was lost. His hands left the chain to cup her face, freeing her own fingers to tug at his neatly tucked dress shirt until she could get to the skin underneath. With a groan, Gendry wrapped his arms around her, lifting her instinctively and stumbling forward until he felt grass instead of sand. She was laughing softly when he lowered her to the ground, both unmindful of their clothes.

Then he dragged his mouth down her neck, pushing against the neckline of her dress, and her laughter hitched on a ragged breath as his hands snuck under the fabric, trailing up her smooth flesh to her wet center. Her back curved as she arched off the ground, as he’d known she would, and he grinned against her shoulder.

Impatient as always, Arya tilted her hips while her hands busily unbuttoned his shirt, eventually half-clutching the fabric as he curled his fingers inside her warmth. It pleased him to no end to see her eyes become half-lidded and her head fall back, exposing her smooth throat to his wandering lips while his fingers continued to work at her. Somehow, she got his shirt open enough to run her nails along his back and torso, distracting him to no end. Then her clever fingers were fumbling with his belt as he slid her offending underwear off her legs and out of the way.

When he was lowering himself to taste her at the source, Arya caught him off guard, twisting them to perch atop him with a smug grin. Then her pink lips were returning the favor, trailing down his torso as she held him captive on the ground. Her long hair fell around her, caressing his skin as she purposely moved at a torturously slow pace. Only when her tight little hands wrapped firmly around his suddenly free cock did Gendry move, out of sheer necessity to be inside her before he lost all control. Sitting up, he easily lifted Arya up and onto him, and she sank down willingly with a moan.

Her tight, wet heat nearly set him off then and there, and he was helpless to do much else but thrust up into her, burying his face into the crook of her neck. The only sounds in the still night air were Arya’s soft cries and his muffled groans, paired with the slap of their bodies coming together over and over. Then Arya’s voice rose an octave as they she went over the edge, and he acutely felt her teethmarks on his shoulder before he followed.

They sat wrapped around each other, breathing heavily and trying not to laugh at their mussed state. Gendry rubbed his chin against her shoulder, feeling her squirm as his stubble grazed her skin. Then a glint of something on the ground caught his eyes, and he squinted past her to see a small earring lying on the ground.

Pulling back to study Arya, he noticed the same glint coming from only one ear and chuckled, tapping her ear gently. “I think you lost something, love.”

“What?” Still somewhat dazed, Arya reached up to tug at her earlobes, her mouth quirking to one side when she only felt one earring. Then she shrugged, her face breaking into a wicked grin. “It was worth it.”

Gendry laughed and kissed her again, winding his hands in her hair. When they finally broke apart, Arya clambered off him to find her missing underwear as Gendry fixed his own clothes. Seeing her distracted, he quickly snatched up the earring, tucking it away in his pocket with a foolish grin.

They took their time getting back to campus, all the while picking leaves and twigs from their hair the rest of the night.


	5. Try

Arya practically dragged him up the stairs and into her room, slamming the door behind them.

“Gendry-“

“Don’t.” He clenched his fists, doing his best not to punch the wall like he so wanted to. Instead, he only rubbed his face tiredly, sighing. “They’re never going to come around.”

“Don’t say that.”

“Why not? It’s true, isn’t it?” Gendry finally spun around to face her. “You saw them out there. I have been nothing but polite every time we’ve met, and I’m still treated like shit.”

Arya threw up her hands helplessly. “What do you want me to do? They’re my older brothers. They will always be protective.”

“No no no,” Gendry shook his head. “Robb is protective. This thing with Jon,” he pointed at the door. “This is all sorts of wrong.”

“Don’t you think I know that? Don’t you think I’ve tried talking to him?” Arya set her hands on her hips, her face twisted in frustration nearly equaling his own.

“I know.” Gendry let out another breath. “I know.”

“Look, Dad likes you. So does Mum, even if she won’t say it. Jon will have to deal.”

“So you’re telling me it doesn’t bother you the slightest bit that your favorite brother hates me.”

“He does not-“ Arya stopped when Gendry cocked an eyebrow. “Fine. Of course it bothers me, but since he’s the one being a boneheaded idiot here, I see no alternative.”

Gendry ran a hand through his hair and began pacing around the small room, distracted and irritated with the judgment that had been oozing through the house all day. He’d been by nearly every weekend now, only to be met with the same result. When he’d passed her for a third time, Arya stepped in his path, her arms snaking around his waist.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I just thought that if you were around more, he would warm up to you.” She shrugged helplessly. “I don’t know what else to do.”

Hearing the weariness in her voice, Gendry hugged her close, leaning down to press his forehead to hers. It couldn’t be easy being stuck between your family and your boyfriend, he thought.

“What we’re going to do is keep trying,” he told her softly. “You’re right. He’ll have to learn to live with it.”

“What an idiot,” she muttered. “I never said he had to love you as much as I do. He just had to be courteous.”

Gendry stilled instantly, an odd buzzing filling his ears as he stared at her. “What did you say?”

Arya’s brows knitted in confusion as she took in his expression. “What?”

His mind raced back over what she’d said, certain he hadn’t misheard, and a giddy joy bubbled up within him. “You love me?”

Her eyes went wide as she retraced her words, and when she immediately backed up from him with a furious blush, Gendry felt a wide grin cross his face. “You love me,” he breathed.

“No! I never said that …” Arya was shaking her head, but it did nothing to deter his elation as he moved towards her.

“Oh but I believe you did say just that,” he reminded her cheekily.

“No, no, I said Jon is an idiot and then-“ her voice cracked. “Then I just stopped talking!”

Gendry laughed. “You love me,” he said in a sing-song voice, and Arya bolted for the door.

For once, he was expecting it and caught her before her hand even reached the doorknob, tossing her over his shoulder caveman-style without a thought.

“Gendry!” Her yelp was full of outrage, but he knew it was only to cover her true thoughts.

Reaching her bed, he bent to lay her down, following immediately to cover her body with his and pin her to the mattress. His fingers tangled with hers, pressing into the soft pillow beside her head as he brushed his nose with hers teasingly.

“You love me,” he said again, and to his delight, her face flushed even more.

“I do not,” she whispered, wriggling in vain underneath him.

“Liar.” He nipped at her bottom lip before looking at her fierce grey eyes again. “Well, I love you,” he smiled, and she stopped struggling.

“You do?”

Gendry chuckled. “And you call me stupid,” he said.

Arya’s face broke into a shy, unbearably happy grin right before he kissed her, and he decided that her family was just going to have to get used to him.


	6. Discovered

Gendry was finishing an email to his professor when her arms wrapped around him, her chin resting on his shoulder.

“Hello,” Arya murmured, placing light kisses along his jaw.

He grinned and hit send, closing his laptop and turning in his desk chair. Tugging her onto his lap, his hands trailed along her bare legs up to her waist, under the large shirt she wore. _His_ shirt. Arya leaned down, and her hair surrounded them like a curtain as their lips met, the kiss teasing at first before becoming more insistent. 

Gendry splayed his hands on her back, pulling her as close as possible until he ran out of breath. Taking his mouth from hers, he laughed. “You’re going to kill me, woman. I need food.”

Very purposely, Arya shifted on his lap, rubbing herself against him slowly, and his eyes nearly rolled back, his fingers digging into her hips. 

Smugly, she raised an eyebrow. “You seem fine.”

With a groan, Gendry crushed her mouth to his, feeling her arms wrap around his shoulders as her hips rocked against him again. His fingers tiptoed down her spine to her bottom, squeezing and feeling her muffled moan against his mouth in reply. Pulling her lips away, Arya began pressing kisses down his neck, her own hands busily working at his shirt.

In the haze of his mind, Gendry nearly didn’t hear the knock at the door. Then it sounded again, more persistently, and he laughed as he felt Arya’s lips move in a curse against his skin. 

“That’ll be the pizza.” He chuckled, taking in her mussed hair and plump pink lips. Leaning forward, he couldn’t resist kissing her one more time before gently lifting her off him and rising from the chair. 

“ _You_ wanted me to order, remember?” He reminded her with a grin, ducking when she threw a pillow at him. Sneaking a glance down at himself, he decided it was safe to open the door - briefly, very briefly - and get the food. Still smiling, he didn’t bother checking who it was - and then realized that had been a very bad idea. 

Ned stood outside, grinning.

“Hey,” he chirped.

It took Gendry a moment to reply. Trying to clear his head, he nodded. “Hey. What’s up?”

“Thought we could grab a bite. I want to hear how things are going.”

Gendry scratched his head nervously. “Ah, now’s not exactly the best time. How about tomorrow?”

Ned’s eyebrows drew together in confusion. “What’s wrong with right now?” 

“I’ve just … ah, … I’ve got this paper, and I’m still catching up on-”

“Gendry, I swear if you started that pizza without me-” Arya’s voice sounded loud and clear behind him and Gendry closed his eyes.

_”Arya?!”_

Turning sheepishly, Gendry saw Arya’s face frozen in shock as she took in the situation. Then she threw her hands up. “Well, fuck.”

He nearly laughed at it all, but his younger brother’s face was so utterly puzzled and disbelieving that he couldn’t. He had to make this right. Pulling Ned inside, he closed the door and turned to Arya.

“Love, do you want to maybe …” he motioned to her bare legs, and her face turned red.

“Right. Pants.” She retreated into his room, re-emerging moments later with her jeans on. 

Then a knock sounded at the door again. _Now the bloody pizza guy shows up,_ Gendry thought sullenly, taking the boxes and paying him before closing the door again for good. He was suddenly very glad he’d ordered extra.

Ned was still looking between him and Arya, gobsmacked. “You?” He pointed at Arya. “And- and _you?_ ”

His voice was full of dismay, disbelief, and more than a little hurt. As Gendry searched for the words to explain himself, though, he found he didn’t have any. 

It was Arya who stepped forward. Setting a hand on Ned’s shoulder, she pushed him to sit on the couch, perching in front of him on the coffee table. 

“Yes. We’re dating,” she informed him, and Gendry couldn’t help but happily note that she was unable to keep a smile from her face. “But it hasn’t been very long. We just … we both stink at relationships - you know that.”

Gendry watched as his younger brother’s face became slightly more understanding.

“It was my idea, really. To keep things quiet for a while.” Arya looked at him before continuing. “I asked Gendry to keep it between us, or else he would have told you right away.”

 _I wanted to tell the whole world,_ Gendry thought with a stupid grin, and Arya glanced at him again with her own tiny smile, as if she could hear his thoughts. At this point, he wouldn’t have been surprised.

He finally moved closer, setting a hand on Ned’s shoulder. His brother didn’t react, but he didn’t shrug him off, either. “I’m sorry you had to find out like this, mate,” Gendry told him quietly. 

“Who else knows?” Ned inquired.

“Only Sansa, and that’s because I live with her,” Arya replied honestly.

“Why the secrecy?”

Gendry let Arya explain herself, watching as she gathered her thoughts. “I … we, we just wanted to figure out what this was for ourselves. Before everyone else threw their opinions at us, too,” she muttered the last bit, and he knew she was referring to her family, most of whom he hadn’t met.

But Ned was nodding, and Gendry cautiously ventured into the conversation again. “I _am_ sorry,” he said, and when his brother turned to him, he felt the urge to expand on his statement. He knew how fond Ned was of Arya. “This isn’t just ... fooling around,” he fumbled, not looking at her. “I take it seriously. We both do. That’s why we wanted to wait, to sort things out for ourselves first.” 

Ned looked back to Arya. “You feel the same?”

Gendry realized he was nervously awaiting her answer also. A sweet smile crossed her face, and when she nodded with a touch of pink her cheeks, Gendry practically floated off the armrest.

Someone (he would never know who) clearing their throat brought him back to the situation at hand, and he waited until Ned faced him again.

“So … are we alright?” He asked.

Ned’s face had relaxed considerably after Arya’s answer. “Yeah. Yeah, it’s fine. It’s just … a bit unbelievable still, that’s all. I mean it’s _great_ ,” he rushed on, and both Gendry and Arya couldn’t help but grin. “Just a lot to take in, is all.”

Arya rose, grabbing a pizza box and setting it on the table. “Well you have plenty of time to take it in, because you’re staying to eat and watch this movie.”

One raised eyebrow effectively cut off any protest he had, and Gendry chuckled as a wry grin crossed his brother’s face. Ned settled back into the couch as Gendry moved aside to make room for Arya.

“You do know you’re in for it now, right?” Ned grinned at him.

“Oh, I know.”


	7. Agreement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon and Gendry finally talk for longer than a few seconds, attempting to "grin and bear it," as it were, for Arya.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on several reader requests for Jon/Gendry having to just deal with the fact that they'll both be important and permanent in Arya's life.

Gendry pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to stop the headache that was threatening to take over. Seeing the dusty blue car approach and turn into the lot, he braced himself for the inevitable. As he leaned against his own, similarly beat-up (but faithful) car, he mused that if he wasn’t so pissed, he might actually respect Jon for having gone and bought a car with his own money, on his own terms. 

Jon parked one spot away from him, stepping out quickly. “What’s happened? Is Arya alright?”

“No.” _You moron._ “She’s pissed and upset.”

Jon took a step forward. “What did you do?”

“Right. Because it has to be my fault,” Gendry snarked back. He was too tired and annoyed to bother playing nice any longer. “She’s pissed with both of us.” 

“I don’t believe you.”

Gendry pulled out his phone. “Would you like to call her, or should I?”

Her brother glared at him and then sighed, his face weary. “Don’t bother. She’s not exactly speaking to me.”

“Great. Something we have in common, finally.”

“So _this_ was your bright idea? Meet in an empty parking lot so we can have it out?”

“Isn’t that what you’ve always wanted? You don’t seem to want to talk to me, let alone listen to anything I try to say. So the only option left is that you’d like to hit me.” He raised his arms. “Have at it.”

Jon rolled his eyes. “I’m not going to hit you. Arya would kill me if I left even a scratch.”

Gendry did his best to squash the grin tugging at his face, deciding to tuck the comment away for later. “Then will you listen to my other ‘bright idea’?”

When the other boy crossed his arms and leaned back against the hood of his car, Gendry took it as a sign to continue. “I’m not asking you to like me. I’m not even asking you to _try_ , because clearly that’s too difficult. I just want you to pretend.”

Jon raised an eyebrow. “Pretend.”

“Yeah. Fake it.” When he continued to look at him in disbelief, Gendry threw up his hands. “What, you got a better idea?”

As Jon opened his mouth, Gendry added, “That doesn’t involve me leaving?”

Jon clamped his mouth shut again, his expression sour. 

“Thought so. Look, I’m not saying we have to pretend to be best friends suddenly. Just act like you’re at least trying to tolerate me.”

“Why do you even care?”

Gendry sighed. “You’re Arya’s brother. You really think I wouldn’t care if her favorite person in the world hates me?”

“Arya’s got her own mind.”

“Yeah, but your opinion means everything to her, and you know it. She’s miserable that we aren’t getting along. Every time we make plans, she’s trying to figure out how to spend time with each of us separately. It’s worn her out.”

Jon was starting to look remotely guilty, if at least for Arya’s sake. Gendry latched onto it like a lifeline.

“Is there anything I can say that would make you even a little less opposed to me?”

Dark grey eyes studied him intently, making him feel like a bug waiting to be squashed. But Jon’s voice was unexpectedly quiet when he responded.

“Arya hasn’t dated very much before. And then of all people, she picks you. I’m sure there’s a lot that I don’t know, but what I _do_ know is that you don’t get to our age without some type of dating experience. Certainly more than she has.”

“That’s true enough,” Gendry allowed. “But did you ever stop to consider that my experiences might be complete shit? Arya’s the best thing that could have happened to me.”

A brief, faint smile crossed Jon’s face. “Now that, I can agree with.” Then his face drew back into his seemingly permanent serious expression. “So what exactly _are_ your intentions with her?”

Gendry fought the urge not to laugh at the very fatherly question. “What are you expecting me to say? That I have bad intentions?”

“No, not that. I’m just …” Jon clenched his hands, clearly frustrated. Neither of them was exactly great with words. “You said she was the best thing to happen to you. Why?”

Oh. Well that was simpler to explain. “She makes me laugh constantly. I can always be myself around her. She doesn’t play mind games, like nearly every other person I’ve ever met. She makes me want to be better at everything … for her. She deserves everything I’ve got.”

Nobody besides his mum had really heard this, but he figured now was not the time to hold back. As much as he was annoyed with him, Gendry badly wanted Jon on his side. For Arya’s sake.

“You don’t have to agree to this right away. But if you could at least talk to Arya … I know it would make her feel better. And at least you could hear her side of things.”

“I doubt she’d tell me,” Jon replied, resigned.

“Now that’s a lie. She’d tell you everything in a heartbeat if she thought you would listen.” Gendry took a breath. “I told you before and I’ll tell you again - I’m not going anywhere. Could you at least try to come to terms with that? For Arya?”

Jon met his gaze evenly. “And if I can’t?”

Gendry shrugged. “Fake it.”

“She’d figure it out, you know.”

“Maybe eventually. But if we pull it off even for a little while, it would give her some relief.”

Jon nodded, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jean jacket. “Alright.”

“Alright, as in yes?”

“As in, I’ll give it a shot.” 

Gendry allowed himself a small smile. “Thank you,” he said gratefully. 

Jon nodded again before opening his car door, ducking his head as he got in. Gendry watched him go before rubbing his face tiredly, deciding to stop by Arya’s favorite bakery before surprising her back at the dorms.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A week later, his phone rang loudly, startling him from where he’d fallen asleep on the couch amongst his papers.

“Hello?”

“Hi, sleepyhead.” Arya’s voice chirped through the receiver. 

“Hey. You sound quite happy. How’s the family outing?”

“Actually, that’s what I’m calling about. Get your things ready, we’re swinging by in a few minutes.”

“What?”

“See you soon!” Arya laughed and the line went dead.

Gendry stared at his phone for several minutes before realizing he was wasting precious time. Scrambling, he nearly fell off the couch in his haste to get to his closet to change and appear somewhat presentable.

Backpack in hand, he stepped outside not a minute too soon, seeing a familiar blue car pull up to the curb. Arya popped out of the back seat, a wide grin on her face as she came to greet him. 

“Hi you,” she handed him a black travel mug, her eyes gleaming with amusement. “Thought you might need some coffee.”

Gendry was utterly confused. “What’s going on?”

“We’re going to the beach, remember?”

He raised an eyebrow. “I remember you and your family were going.”

She shrugged, but couldn’t contain her glee for very long. “Jon suggested you come with.”

Now both of Gendry’s eyebrows shot up entirely. “ _Jon_? As in your scowling, serious older brother who can barely be in the same room as me?”

“That’s the one.” 

“Why don’t I believe you?”

“Fine.” Arya, huffed, rolling her eyes. “Everyone was saying how they wanted to bring their friends, and then Jon said we should all get to pick one person to come along. I told him we were taking you, and he didn’t argue,” she concluded smugly.

“Oy, come on or we’ll be late!” Ygritte’s voice rang out loud and clear, and Arya grinned as she took his hand, tugging him to the car.

As he curled himself into the back seat alongside Arya, Gendry stumbled through his greetings, still surprised at the turn of events. They drove along with modest chatter until Ygritte turned the radio up, singing along horribly off-key but making everyone laugh all the same.

When they stopped at a light, Jon’s eyes flicked to the rearview mirror. _Thanks,_ Gendry mouthed, and a moment later he received a slight nod in reply.


End file.
